The present invention relates to a reciprocating saw. More particularly, this invention concerns a butcher's meat saw.
An electrically or pneumatically driven meat saw normally has a housing from which extends a thin fixed guide plate having one edge that serves as a guide along which an elongated blade may slide. To this end the blade has one longitudinal edge formed with cutting teeth and its opposite longitudinal edge is shaped to fit with the edge of the guide. In this manner it is possible for a relatively inexpensive and replaceable blade to be securely guided on the saw for reciprocating in a cutting direction defined by the edge of the guide.
In the most common construction the blade is formed of a three-layer laminate. Each of the layers is formed as a plate, and the middle plate is of the same thickness as the plate forming the guide of the saw, but is less wide than the other two plates so that the three plates together form a groove in which the edge of the guide is received. In this manner excellent guiding of the blade on the saw is ensured.
The principal disadvantage of this construction is that once material enters between the juxtaposed edges of the blade and guide, it is almost impossible to clean out such material without disassembly of the saw. In particular when fatty material, blood or the like finds its way into the space between the juxtaposed edges of the blade and guide it then becomes necessary thoroughly to clean the saw at the end of the day in order to prevent this material from spoiling and damaging the saw. This operation, as mentioned above, requires at the very least removal of the blade from the guide for cleaning of the juxtaposed edges, as even dipping the entire blade and guide assembly into a cleaning solution and running the saw does not clean out the space between the blade and the guide.
Another disadvantage of the known reciprocating saws is that the drives for reciprocating the blades are relatively complex. Furthermore, these drives normally create considerable throw, making the saw difficult to hold and guide accurately.